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Chicago Dumps Retirees and America Into ObamaCare

A government with moral and legal authority promulgates written rules and universally, impartially and uniformly enforces those rules, which provides a predictable and stable legal order on which to base economic and personal decisions. The law prevails, not the proclamation or arbitrary decision of a ruler, government bureaucrat, enforcer (e.g., policeman) or judge.

Chicago Dumps Retirees and America Into ObamaCare

“I was promised health care for myself and my wife for life,” said Michael Underwood, 62, who retired from the Chicago Police Department after 30 years of service. However, in May, the city of Chicago announced they needed to remove some of the city's 11,800 pensioners, making them ineligible for Medicare coverage by 2017. Frightened and angered, Mr. Underwood is suing the city of Chicago in order to keep his promised benefits.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has not respond to Mr. Underwood's lawsuit or the additional lawsuits brought on by other retirees. Instead, he employed a bureaucrat to explain Chicago's philosophy and assistance.

Sarah Hamilton, a spokes person for the city, was quoted by the New York Times as saying, “With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, our retirees will have more options to meet their health care needs.” Hamilton continues, “We will ensure that they have all the information needed to navigate the options available going forward, while saving vital taxpayer dollars.”

Mr. Underwood, who has diabetes and Parkinson's disease, certainly did not jump up and say,“Woopie! Chicago is going to send me brochures explaining ObamaCare!” No, the city of Chicago has broken their contract with Mr. and Mrs. Underwood and thousands of other retired, city workers, which should make every American appauled and outraged.

In order to preserve and sustain a free society, the primary duty of government is to protect people and their property. Honoring the contracts we make is absolutely essential.

In an attempt to save millions of dollars per year, the city of Chicago is attempting to break their contracts with retired workers. Assuming Mr. Underwood was promised “health care for myself and my wife for life,” Chicago's breach of their contract is not only immoral, it violates the basic rule of law:

A government with moral and legal authority promulgates written rules and universally, impartially and uniformly enforces the rules, which provides a predictable and stable legal order on which to base economic and personal decisions.

What is most egregious is Chicago's unilateral breach of their contracts, which is clearly a direct attack on our basic rule of law. The law should prevail, not the proclamation or arbitrary decision of a ruler, government bureaucrat, enforcer (e.g., policeman) or judge.

By breaking contracts with former workers and forcing ObamaCare on to them, Chicago is shifting the cost onto taxpayers, which is horrifying. The New York Times quoted Neil Bomberg, Program Director at the National League of Cities, explaining the Affordable Care Act:

“The Affordable Care Act does change the possibilities here dramatically. It offers a very high-quality, potentially very affordable way to get people into health care without the burden falling back onto the city and town.”

Therefore, over of years of mismanagement and corruption, the city of Chicago took money from city workers, sent money to politicians, who then set salaries and lavish retirement benefits. Now, Chicago intends to have every American taxpayer pay for their immoral practices. Shame on them.

Not only does this violate the rule of law, it is destroying freedom in America.

I'm surprised that no mention is made of the part the unions played in all of this. The union members are not innocent, as they are often portrayed to be, in all of this. They voted for the union leaders and also for the politicians. This was not a oneway street.

FreedomWorks today blasted the Obama administration for its plan to bail out health insurance plans that have lost money participating in ObamaCare. The plan, which was described in the Washington Post Thursday, circumvents the congressional prohibition on taxpayer dollars being used for ObamaCare’s risk corridors program.

FreedomWorks today echoed calls from Sens. Ben Sasse (R-Nebr.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) for answers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the prioritization of payments to health insurance companies over taxpayers through the controversial ObamaCare reinsurance program.

Following an editorial by President Barack Obama in the Journal of the American Medical Association, in which he called for a so-called “public option” component for ObamaCare, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented:

Following an appearance by former speechwriters for President Barack Obama on The Charlie Rose Show Monday, in which they laughed when the now-infamous “if you like your plan, you can keep it” promise was mentioned, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented: